Mexico not to pay for Trump Wall: Mexican President

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto yesterday said ''of course'' his country would not pay for a wall along the US-Mexico border. However, president-elect Donald Trump insists that Mexico would pay for the structure.

Nieto said during a gathering of Mexico's ambassadors and consuls that it was evident his country had ''some differences with the next government of the United States, like the topic of the wall that Mexico of course will not pay for.''

He added that ''basic principles'' like ''our sovereignty'' were ''not negotiable.''

Trump insisted at a press conference yesterday that Mexico would indeed pay for the wall he wanted to build along the southern border to stop illegal immigration.

Nieto said that any negotiations with the US would need to include a commitment to stop the flow of illegal arms and money from the US into Mexico.

Meanwhile, Trump has said that he would simultaneously repeal and replace the signature health care programme of outgoing president Barack Obama. Addressing his first press conference in six months, Trump alleged that Obamacare was a complete and total disaster. He added that pending negotiations with the Mexican government, his administration would immediately move ahead with its plan to construct a wall along the southern border to keep out illegal migrants and Mexico would reimburse it. Trump added that vice president-elect Mike Pence was leading an effort to get final approvals through various agencies and through Congress for the construction of the wall to start.

Trump added that the US was least prepared for defending its cyber assets and vowed to come out with a major anti-hacking plan within 90 days after he assumed office on 20 January. Responding to a series of questions on cyber hacking, particular those from Russia, Trump said, Moscow would have much more respect for the US when he was leading it.